13 species we may not see in 2016

1. Siberian Tiger

It is estimated that only 400 to 500 individuals are still in the wild. These tigers are the world’s largest cats and they are being hunted for their use in traditional Chinese medicine on the black market.

2. Mountain Gorilla

There only 880 individuals struggling to survive. These gorillas are found in Virunga Mountains (border of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo). Poaching, destruction of habitat, charcoal production has reduced them in numbers. .

3. Amur Leopard

People usually hunt these leopards for their beautiful spotted fur and it is the rarest and most endangered big cat in the world. There ae only 30 individuals left in the wird

4. Sumatran Elephant

There are only 2,400 to 2,800 elephants of this species left in the wild. Male elephants have relatively small tusks, but poachers still kill to sell them in the illegal ivory market, thus skewing the sex ratio among wild elephants and making future breeding and species survival difficult.

5. Javan Rhinoceros

There are only 35 of them left. These Javan rhinos are killed by trophy hunters during colonial times and now people are paying high prices for their horns which are used in traditional Asian medicines.

6. Leatherback Turtle

The largest sea turtle species and one of the most migratory, the Leatherback turtle population has severely declined in recent years due to over harvesting, fisheries by catch, plastic ingestion, egg poaching, habitat loss and expansion of coastal development that continues to disturb and destroy turtle nesting beaches.

7. Western Lowland Gorilla

The deadly Ebola virus has also devastated the wild apes population. The virus killed more than 90% of the region’s gorilla and chimpanzee populations. People also hunt them for their meat while baby gorillas are captured to be kept as pets.

8. Saola

There are estimated to only be a few dozen left in the world. Saola is known as the Asian unicorn. Saola are hunted to supply growing demands for traditional medicine in China and food markets in Vietnam and Laos.

9. Vaquita

One of the world’s most rarest marine animal. There are only 100 individuals left in the world. Swim bladders are illegally sold for about $4,000 a pound.

10. Greater Bamboo Lemur

There are only 150 in captivity and only 60 still exist in the wild. Climate change, illegal logging, lemur hunting and severe depletion of bamboo mean this species might not survive much longer.

11. Black Rhino

These rhinos are also hunted for their prized horns or just for sports. They are the oldest groups of mammals left in the world. Only 4,848 individuals are left in the world.

12. Sumatran OrangUtan

Hunted for food and even captured alive to be kept as status symbols, this species is facing a downhill spiral due to inadequate law enforcement and an increase in illegal trafficking. About 7,300 individuals are left in the wild.

13. Yangtze Finless Porpoise

Due to overfishing, decrease in food supply, pollution and changing conditions caused by dams, only 1,000 to 1,800 individuals remain. The finless porpoise’s close cousin, the Baiji dolphin, has already been declared functionally extinct due to human activity.